Coupling device



JulylO, 1951 G. 0mm 2,559,600

COUPLING DEVICE Filed Sept 13, 1946 26 INVENTOR.

ammo ommv Patented July 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,559,600 6 COUPLING DEVICE Gerald Deakin, New York, N. Y., assignor to In ternationa'lstandard Electric Corporation, New York, N. Y., acorporation of Delaware Application September 13, 1946, Seria'l'Nb. 696,794

Claims.

Thepresent invention relates to improvements in coupling devices adapted particularly for use in driving carriages, such asbrush carriages of selectorswitches, for example switches-of this character used in automatic telephone'systems as finder switches, group selectors; final connectors, marking switches or the" like.

More particularly, this invention'applies to'improvements in switches wherein the drivebetwe'en two shafts is effected by means ofa 'gear fix-ed on one of said shafts and-a flexible gear which when-flexed is disconnected-from the othergear and; when released'byan electromagnet, meshes therewith.

An important feature 'of 'the invention is to provide a novel and advantageousdisengageable gear drive of the generalcharacter-"specified.

Another object of the invention, is-toproV-idea novel and advantageous magnetic circuit more powerful than thoseheretofore in'use; I

Still another object of the invention is te-pro vide a novel' and advantageous gear drive of the type specified equippedwitha morepo'werfuland more rapid magnetic circuit.

Yet anotherobjeot of the invention-is to pro vide anovelelectromagnetic apparatuswherei-n the pressure is symmetrically applied the ar mature. V

A further object or the inventionis to provide a coupling device operated by an-"electromagnet and enabling more accurate control of the air gap.

A" further object of the invention is to" provide a magnet of the character described-whereinthe armature" has a universal pivotalmounting;

A-still further object is to provide a" disengage able gear drive of the general charaeter 'specifi'ed wherein an electromagnetic operating-unit is readily mounted or dem'ounted.

Other objects, features and advantages will appear 'upon consideration of the-following detailed description and'ofthe drawinga'in Fig. 1 is a fragmentary-plan view'ofapparatus embodying one form of the-invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, and I Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end-view illustrating the supporting means-forthe magnet and asso-- ciated parts illustrated imFigs. -1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, a U"-'shaped core I 0 of ah'orseshoe magnet H is secured to'aplate or flat portion l2 of a frame I 3 by suitable means such as a screw M passing throug-ha raised portion it of the plate I 2 and threaded into the legconnecting part of said U=shaped core. --Sa-i'cl 2 raised portion I5 of the plate t2. may be formed between two parallel cuts l6 and providesat the other face of the plate a recess which receives the.

base of said U-shaped core. Said core imis illustrated as having legs I! on which are mounted coils l8 of corresponding cross section.

At the right of plate l2, the frame l3comprises an arm I9 comprising a central extension 20, a downturned portion 2|, and at the lower end of said downturned portion? Iran outturned portion 22.

Projecting upwardly through an internally threaded bore in said extension 20 is the threaded end of the shank of a bolt 23 having at its lower end a rounded head 24 boundedby a spher ical surface and fitting into a corresponding recess 25 in an armature 26 having a broad end.

adjacent to the poles 21 at the'lower ends of said Said rounded head 24 and recess 25 of the an mature 23 provide what may be called a uni-'- versal pivotal support for the armature 26 which enables the armature to adjust itself for proper engagement with said poles 21. Obviously the illustrated form of universal support comprises a ball and socket joint. The pivotal support for the armature can readily be adjusted by turning said bolt 23 in said extension 20. Upon completion of an adjustment the bolt may be'locked in adjusted position by means of a lock nut 28.

The armature 2G is used to control in a known manner, the connection between a thin flexible gear 29 fixed to a shaft 30 to turn therewith, and a thin driving gear 3| fixed on a driving shaft 32 The flexible gear 29 is tensioned so that if free of control it will mesh with gear 3| and press lightly against a disk 33 at the lower face of gear 3| and fixed with relation thereto. The armature 26 has an arm 34 extending beneath said flexible gear 29 and provided at its end beneath said gear with a control member 34a havinga flat top.

The armature arm 3| is urged upwardly'by suitable means comprising a helical spring. having at its lower end a hook. engaging a cross pin or member 36 of said arm. 34 formed byproviding at opposite sides thereof openings through the armature arm. Said spring 35 is enclosed in a tubular member 31 of which, the lower end is externally screw threaded and is screwed into an internallythreaded-opening in portion 22 of frame l3. At its upper end the spring 35 is provided with-a hook 38 which is caught overa pin 39 resting on the top of said tubular memberv 3L her 42 with a head in the form of a nut, adjustl ably secured in outturned portion 22 of arm 13, as by being screwed through an opening in portion 22. At this time the flexible gear 29 will be gripped between the control members 340. and 42.

Obviously the control member 42 serves to limit the flexing of the flexible gear and in'cooperation with the control member 34a provides a brake to stop and hold the flexible gear against rotation.

Upon energization of the' magnet H, as a result of starting a call or dialing, the armature arm 34 is swung downwardly. The flexible gear then meshes with driving gear 3| and shaft is driven from shaft 32. 1

' The shaft 33 may be utilized to drive a brush carriage in the general manner described in my Patent No. 2,490,035.-

It is important to be able to mount such electromagnetic devices readily and also to demount them readily. To this end, the bracket I3 is narrowed at the left of flat portion l2 to a parallel sided portion slightly to the front of the center line of part l2 and this portion is turned downwardly to provide a vertical support or leg 25. A machine screw with a suitably formed operating head is screwed into said leg 45 from the outer side thereof. On the shank of said screw 45 is a Washer 47. At its right and to the front of part 18, the flat portion i2 is provided with a downturned leg 43 somewhat longer than leg 45. Threaded into leg 48 from the right are screws 49 positioned at levels above and below that of screw 45. Each screw 49 is provided with a washer 50.

Each frame l3 may be supported by a bracket or clip 5! of generallyU-shape of which the base is secured to a support 52 at a vertical side thereof, and arms 53 and 54 at the same general level extend forwardly from said support. The arm 53 shown at the left in Figs. 1 and 2 and at'the front in Fig. 3, is narrowed to a parallel sided portion provided at its end with a slot 55 into which the shank of screw 48 is inserted, the Washer 4'? being kept next to the head of the screw. The arm 55, shown at the right'of Figs. 1 and 2 and at the rearin Fig. 3 is of the same width throughout its length and is longer than arm 53 so that the shanks of screws 49 may enter slots 55 in the end of said arm and be secured therein by tightening nuts 49.

As indicated in Fig. l, brackets 51 may be provided at the back of support 52, and corresponding disengageable gear drives may be mounted at the rear of the support. With this arrangement, another flexible gear would be suppliedat the rear and wouldbedriven by gear 3| in. a similar manner. As indicated in Fig. 2, the armature 26 may be provided with a suitable shield 51 of nonmagnetic material suchas phosphor bronze to engage the pole pieces provided at the ends of legs ll of the magnet core ill and prevent freezing as well as determinethe effective air gap. betweenarmature 25 and said pole pieces. .Upon energization of the magnet as by starting "acall, the armature will; swing, about the "as shown in said applications referred hereinbefore.

Upon completion of an operation such as finding a free terminaLthe magnet would be deenergized thus permitting the spring 35 to operate the armature in the opposite direction, thereby flexing the flexible gear 29 out of mesh with driving gear 3| and stopping the brush carriage.

It should be noted that the tubular member 31 enclosing the helical spring 35 limits lateral swing of said spring, thus assisting in maintaining the armature in operative relation with the magnet l l and the flexible gear 28.

It should be understood that various changes may be made and that certain features may be used without others, without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is': x

a 1. Coupling device comprising in combination, a driving gear, a driven flexiblegear normally in operative engagement with said driving gear, and means for selectively deflecting said flexible gear out of engagement with said driving gear and preventing rotation of said flexible gear during such deflection comprising an electromagnet, a frame member supporting said electromagnet, a fulcrum member extending from said frame member, a rounded head for said fulcrum mem-' her, an armature for said electromagnet, a rounded socket in said armature for receiving said rounded head of said fulcrum member to pivot thereon, a brake member fixed with respect to said frame member, and having a braking surface in spaced juxtaposed position with respect to said flexible gear, a second brake member mounted on said armature and disposed on. the opposite side of said flexible gear withrespect to said first brake member and having a brake surface com plementary to the brake surface of said first brake member, means attached to said armature and. adapted to bias saidarmature with respect to, said frame about said fulcrum in such a direction as to force the brake surface of the second brake member toward said brake-surface of said first brake member thereby forcing the flexible gear out of engagement with the driving gear and clamping the flexible gear between the brak ing surfaces to prevent rotation thereof, and circuit means associated with said electromagnet for energizing said 'magnet to attract said arma ture to overcome said bias and to permit the flexible gear to return to engaging position-with respect to said driving gear. 7

2. A coupling device comprising a driving gear, a flexible driven gear normally in engagement therewith, an electroinagnet, a frame membersupporting said electromagnet, an armature,- a brake having a pair of complementary braking surfaces, oneof said surfaces being mounted in a fixed position with respect to said frame member, the other of said surfaces beingsupported on said armature, said brake surfaces-being arranged, on opposite sides of said flexible. driven gear at a point thereof in close proximity to the point of engagement of said driven gear with said driving gear so as to permit free rotation of said flexible driven gear when said second surface is in spaced position with respect to said first surface and adapted to flex, the driven gear out of engagement with said driving gear when said second surface is forced toward said first surface and to prevent rotation of said driving gear, biasing means for normally biasing said second surface toward said second surface, means for providing proper orientation of said armature with respect to said electromagnet and said first brake surface comprising a. universal fulcrum means for said rounded depression receiving said head and forming a ball-and-socket type joint therewith.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein said fulcrum member comprises a rod having the end opposite said head adjustably threaded into said frame member.

GERALD DEAKIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 925,270 Beemer June 15, 1909 1,023,490 Beck et al Apr. 16, 1912 1,133,687 Wesley Mar. 30, 1915 1,264,359 Barnhouse Apr. 30, 1918 1,487,373 Deakin Mar. 18, 1924 2,141,422 Thomas Dec. 27, 1938 2,158,480 Peterson May 16, 1939 2,167,646 Dyer Aug. 1, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 56,620 Sweden May 15, 1922 

